More than 30 federal cases have joined a federal diabetes drug litigation that includes an increasing number of Byetta lawsuit (http://www.byettalawsuit.com/) filings, as well as claims over similarly-designed medications, Bernstein Liebhard LLP reports.

Court documents updated on April 15th indicate that 354 lawsuits have now been filed in the U.S. District Court, Southern District of California on behalf of individuals who allege injuries caused by a class of Type 2 diabetes drugs referred to as incretin mimetics. According to claims filed in this proceeding, the use of such medications as Byetta, Januvia and Victoza can allegedly lead to pancreatitis, pancreatic cancer and even thyroid cancer. When the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (JPML) issued its most recent Case List update on March 13th, a total of 320 claims had been centralized in the California proceeding. (In Re: Incretins Products Liability, Sales and Marketing Litigation, MDL 2452)

"As our Firm continues to hear from diabetics who allegedly experienced serious pancreatic side effects after their use of incretin mimetics, we look forward to further updates in the federal litigation that includes dozens of Byetta lawsuits," says Bernstein Liebhard LLP, a nationwide law firm representing victims of defective medical devices and drugs including Byetta and Januvia. The Firm is currently offering free and confidential case evaluations to potential Januvia and Byetta lawsuit claimants who were allegedly injured by either of these medications.

Byetta Lawsuits

According to claims filed in the U.S. District Court, Southern District of California, diabetics taking Byetta, Januvia and other incretin mimetics may develop pancreatic cancer, pancreatitis and thyroid cancer; side effects that certain manufacturers failed to adequately warn about in their marketing of the medications.

This class of Type 2 diabetes drugs work by mimicking the functions of incretin, a hormone that normally stimulates the release of insulin, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which includes the GLP-1 agonists Byetta and Victoza, and the DPP-IV inhibitors Januvia, Onglyza and Tradjenta in its list of approved incretin mimetics.

On March 14, 2013, the FDA acknowledged a possible association between the use of incretin mimetics and the risk for serious pancreatic injury in a public health alert that announced its investigation of Byetta and other drugs. According to the warning, a previously unpublished study found that the use of incretin mimetics may lead to cellular changes in the pancreas referred to as pancreatic metaplasia, a condition that often precedes cancer. The agency maintained in its 2013 alert that a confirmed connection between the two had not been reached, but that its safety review was ongoing.

Patients who took Byetta, Januvia, Victoza or another incretin mimetic may be eligible of file a case against its manufacturer that seeks compensation for out-of-pocket medical expenses, lost wages and other damages allegedly caused by their injuries. To learn more about a federal litigation that now includes dozens of lawsuits alleging Byetta pancreatic cancer injuries, as well as complications caused by similar medications, visit the Firm's website, or call the following number for a free and confidential case evaluation: 800-511-5092.

About Bernstein Liebhard LLP

Bernstein Liebhard LLP is a New York-based law firm exclusively representing injured persons in complex individual and class action lawsuits nationwide since 1993, including those who have been harmed by dangerous drugs, defective medical devices and consumer products. The firm has been named by The National Law Journal to the Plaintiffs' Hot List, recognizing the top plaintiffs firms in the country, for the past 12 consecutive years. Bernstein Liebhard LLP is the only firm in the country to be named to this prestigious list every year since the list was first published in 2003.

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